


The Cure

by glitterburn (orphan_account)



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: F1slash Summer Slash 2009, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-28
Updated: 2010-09-28
Packaged: 2017-10-12 06:41:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/122007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/glitterburn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When tragedy strikes during a sailing trip, Kazuki is forced to call upon the powers of his supernatural ancestor to save Nico's life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Cure

**Author's Note:**

> Superpower AU challenge - mine was 'healing'. Inspired in a very vague and roundabout way from the discussion in _Alien Kind_ by Rania Huntington on Pu Songling's tale of Jianou and Kong Xueli.

The pitlane at Monaco looked strange without the ordered chaos of team personnel, sponsors, celebrities and hangers-on swarming through it. The everyday noise of Monte Carlo traffic seemed lifeless and dull in comparison to the cough and snarl of Formula One engines. Kazuki took off his sunglasses, shoved his hands in his pockets, and wandered between the trees lining one side of the pitlane. Tyre tracks covered the asphalt, and if he breathed deeply, he thought he could still smell the faint trace of oil and fuel.

The fans had already been here, picking over the area for anything the teams had left behind. One of the edging bricks of the pavement had come loose. Kazuki was surprised a fan hadn't thought to take it as a souvenir. He nudged the brick back into place with his foot and leaned against one of the trees, watching the residents of Monte Carlo go about their business as if the most famous motor race in the F1 calendar hadn't been in town yesterday.

"Hey, Kaz!"

He looked up, his mood brightening at the sight of his teammate coming towards him. Nico wore a white t-shirt with a discreet Williams logo on the left side of his chest, faded denim cut-offs, and a pair of beige deck shoes. Kazuki stared at the shoes and decided to keep quiet. Though Nico was far from being the worst dressed driver on the grid, sometimes his choices made little sense.

Behind him strode Lewis, dressed in someone else's idea of what a world champion should wear: smart chinos, a crisp white shirt, leather shoes. Kazuki felt underdressed in his jeans, battered old trainers and an ancient _Ultraman_ t-shirt. The sight of Lewis only slightly dampened his pleasure at seeing Nico. He focused on his teammate's easy smile and felt his heart flip.

Nico grinned as they came closer. "So glad we caught you, Kaz."

"Kaz?" Lewis wrinkled his nose. "Isn't that, like, a girl's name? Short for Karen or Cassie or..."

"Yeah." Nico slung an arm around Kazuki's shoulders and hugged him close, touching their heads together. "Kaz and Britney, the über-grid girls."

Lewis rolled his eyes. "You're such a git."

"And you're a bad loser." Nico laughed and ducked out of the way, stepping behind Kazuki as Lewis aimed a mock slap to his head. Kazuki ducked, too, and Lewis flailed at thin air for a moment before pulling back and putting his hand on his hip.

"Gits, both of you."

Nico gripped Kazuki's arm. "Thanks."

"No problem." Thinking that was all, Kazuki fiddled with his sunglasses and moved away, only to be brought up short by Nico tugging on his t-shirt. Puzzled, he turned. "What is it, Nico?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to hang out with us today. I mean, _I_ did pretty well in the race for a backmarker," and he snorted, his golden hair flopping into his eyes, "but Mr Reigning World Champion here came twelfth and you –"

"I crashed," Kazuki finished for him with a polite smile.

"It happens, man." Lewis didn't look at him as he spoke; rather, he looked through him, as if Kazuki wasn't worth his while. "So, are we going or what?"

Nico stood back, his gaze open and friendly as he looked at Kazuki. "That depends on whether Kaz is ready to go with us."

"Where are you going?"

"We," Nico said, carefully enunciating the pronoun, "are going on a sailing trip. With a picnic and a football, in case we anchor near an empty bit of beach and have a kick around. We're going to chill out and take it easy."

"Oh." Kazuki blinked, not sure why Nico wanted to include him in the invitation. "That sounds nice."

Nico's smiled intensified. "You'll come? Great! We were just heading for the marina now. If you need to fetch anything from the hotel, we can wait."

Lewis grunted and started playing with his mobile phone.

"I'm okay." Kazuki felt his spirits lift. "How did you know I was here?"

"Uh." Nico looked embarrassed. "I saw you go this way. Lucky, really, because otherwise I'd have gone to your hotel and wouldn't have found you." He smiled again, a little uncertain this time, then glanced away, raking the tumble of his hair to one side.

"Hey, I texted Eddie to see if we could take the _Anaconda_!" Lewis cut in, waving his phone. "Wouldn't that be awesome?"

"Yeah." Nico raised an eyebrow as the phone beeped. "What did he say?"

Lewis scrambled to read the message. His face fell and he held up the screen so they could both see the reply: FUCK OFF

"I guess that's a no, then." Lewis tried to hide his disappointment as they walked to the marina. "Maybe I can ask him again."

"We don't need the _Anaconda_. One of my dad's friends has a yacht. We're going on that." Nico pointed to a small sailing boat moored between two large cruisers.

"Where's the crew?"

"Duh." Nico indicated the three of them then grinned at Kazuki before continuing along the jetty towards the yacht.

Lewis looked stunned, his face paling. His mouth caught up with his mind and he raced after them. "Wait! You're telling me we have to do this sailing shit ourselves?"

"Yep." Nico sprang on board the boat and caught hold of a ratline, swinging himself along the side to stand in the middle of the deck. "Kaz, grab the mooring rope. I'm going to check that the stuff's been stowed away properly like I asked, and then I'll start the outboard."

Lewis pushed past Kazuki and wobbled onto the boat. "Thank God there's a motor on this thing."

Nico popped his head out of the deckhouse door. "Only until we're out of the harbour. Then we're using the sails."

"Oh man!" Lewis flopped onto one of the benches running across the deck. "I should've gone shoe-shopping with Nicole after all."

* * *

They sailed out of the harbour and headed west towards Cap d'Ail. The wind picked up and Nico bustled around the yacht, showing Kazuki how to set and trim the sails and plot a course. Lewis watched and helped for a short while then wandered into the deckhouse and got himself a beer. He stretched out on a bench away from the swing of the boom and lay in the sun.

Kazuki followed their direction on the crumpled nautical chart Nico handed to him, tracing the coastline with his forefinger. Nico took the wheel, making small adjustments as he continually checked their position.

"There's a great beach near here, Plage le Mala, but I bet it'll be crowded. If we go further round towards Cap Estel, there's a couple of secluded coves. We can drop anchor there and swim, play football, have something to eat..." Nico smiled over at him. "Sounds like fun, yes?"

Kazuki nodded. He hadn't said very much since Nico's invitation, content instead to watch his teammate joke around with Lewis. He envied their friendship and the banter that seemed so easy and natural between them. Kazuki didn't understand Lewis' mindset but he admired Nico for his hard work, positive attitude, and those devastating smiles. Nico smiled at everyone – fans, drivers, mechanics, team bosses, the guy who ran the hot dog stand – everyone. At first Kazuki had thought it was some kind of ploy, a way to get people to like him, but after a few months of careful observation, he came to the conclusion that Nico had a natural ebullient, sunny personality that drew people towards him.

Perhaps he'd inherited it from his father. Keke was loud and brash, far too flamboyant and outspoken for Kazuki's quiet, modest nature to bear. Nico seemed to have taken those wild traits from his father and tempered them into something softer and more approachable.

Kazuki wondered if Nico knew how many people were in love with him because of it. Nico always seemed oblivious to the longing looks, the accidental touches, the words loaded with implication. Of course, he was gorgeous, too, walking the line between handsome and beautiful and managing both in the most striking way. The combination of looks and personality were devastating, but it was his innate kindness, his concern and respect for those around him, that had made Kazuki fall head over heels for him.

Not that he stood a chance. Nico was surrounded by stunning girls, handsome men, and the attention of several of the other drivers. Lewis, for example... Kazuki slid his gaze towards the world champion. Lewis may have a Pussycat Doll for a girlfriend, but everyone in the paddock knew he'd chase after anyone he considered to have more talent than him and attempt to use sex to bring them down. It had worked with Fernando. Kazuki hoped Lewis wouldn't try with Nico.

Perhaps he'd been silent too long, because now Nico leaned both arms across the top of the wheel and looked at him. "What are you frowning about?"

To avoid a direct answer, Kazuki fumbled with the chart, folding it to show only the squares of coastline they were sailing past. Then he took it over to Nico, perched on the roof of the deckhouse, and said, "I was wondering why you asked me to come with you."

Nico looked surprised. "Why wouldn't I? It's a nice day, we've got at least twenty-four hours before Frank expects us back in Oxford – so why shouldn't I just hang out with my friends?"

Kazuki nodded, still a little mystified but warmed by the knowledge that Nico considered him a friend.

"I like you, Kaz." Nico glanced up at the sun high overhead and made an adjustment to the wheel. "You're not an outsider, you know."

His perception took Kazuki's breath away. For a moment he struggled to find a reply. "I know."

"The only time you get to go home is when we turn up for the GP. It hardly gives you time to see your family and do, well, whatever you like doing. Looking at cherry blossom. Eating sashimi. Doing origami. Getting stuck in Tokyo traffic." Nico lifted his eyebrows, his expression inviting Kazuki's laughter at his ignorance. "Seriously, I think it's time we got to know each other better. You're always so reserved with everyone."

"My English isn't very good."

"Your English is fine." Nico tilted his head, the sunlight gleaming along the waves of his blond hair. "You're just hiding behind it as an excuse."

Kazuki stiffened, his heart pounding a nervous rhythm. "Honestly," he said, weighing every word, "I don't talk because I don't have anything to say."

Nico chuckled. "That's so refreshing. Most of the drivers talk just to hear the sound of their own voices."

"Excuse me?" Kazuki didn't quite understand that.

"It means they love themselves." Nico paused, a blank look crossing his face. "It means they're selfish and arrogant and have no time for anyone else. And for all the talking they do, most of it is crap."

Startled, Kazuki considered Nico's words. "I see."

Nico seemed to shake himself from whatever mood had gripped him. His sunny smile returned as he left the helm and gave Kazuki a matey punch on the shoulder. "You're a good guy. D'you think you can handle the wheel for a minute?"

Kazuki got up from the roof of the deckhouse. "I will try."

The smooth varnished wood felt warm not from the sun but from the touch of Nico's hands. Kazuki tried to push the thought from his mind, moving his hands to grip the wheel in a different position. He scanned the horizon, noting other boats further out at sea, and braced himself as a swell came towards them, the backwash of a large powerboat roaring on its way towards Monte Carlo.

He heard Nico exchange a few laughing words with Lewis, who sounded disgruntled, and then Nico appeared from the side of the deckhouse with a couple of cold Cokes. Kazuki returned his smile, watching as Nico popped the tabs and held out one of the cans. The gesture was so simple, so ordinary, that Kazuki felt his heart twist. Nico was friendly with everyone, shared this gift of intimacy with everyone. He couldn't allow himself to hope for more.

He took the proffered can and drank, ready to relinquish his place at the helm. To his surprise, Nico indicated he should stay where he was.

"You're a natural," he said with a grin. "Much better than Captain Birdseye back there." He nodded towards Lewis.

"Oi, I heard that," Lewis called from his sunbathing.

Nico gave Kazuki an unrepentant grin and settled himself on top of the deckhouse. "Keep on this course, Kaz. We'll have to trim the sails when we get nearer the cape, but for now let's enjoy the ride."

They fell silent as the yacht approached Cap Estel, the cliffs rising up to form the sharp point of the headland. The waves broke over a cluster of rocks, spume frothing, and beat against the base of the cliffs with a faint booming sound. Kazuki lifted his gaze, shading his eyes with one hand as he followed the shape of the cape inland. The ground rose steeply to a peak that glittered with tiny painted buildings imprinted against rock and the lush green of vegetation. It looked like a tiny paradise, far distant and unreachable.

Nico got up to stand beside him. "That's Èze," he said. "An ancient hilltop town. Medieval, mostly, though the church is built on the site of a Phoenician temple to the goddess Isis..."

"Oh God, is he boring on about history again?" Lewis gave Nico a playful cuff round the head as he came to join them. He perched on the taffrail and peered into the pristine blue water. "Hey, I can see a fish."

"Yeah, it's the sea, that's where they live." Nico rolled his eyes and Kazuki suppressed a laugh.

Lewis glared at them both. "So where are we going, exactly, on this voyage of the damned?"

"Right there." Nico sounded pleased as he pointed towards a number of small coves cut into the cliffs. The beaches were high, the sand pale and bright in the sun, the cliffs a glaring white striped with grey. The sea smoothed out, its colour alternating between deep blue and azure as the land shelved into the water. Beneath the cliffs, jagged rocks stuck up like the rotting fangs of sea-monsters. Kazuki shivered as he looked at them.

"I'll pilot us in," Nico said, gently nudging him from the wheel. "You did a great job getting us here. Watch how I take her in, and you can bring us back out later."

Lewis gave them a strange look, something hard and suspicious in his eyes, but before Kazuki could focus on it, the expression passed and Lewis moved away, muttering something about fetching the football.

Nico took the yacht into the furthest cove and dropped anchor. Kazuki looked over the side and saw fish dart from their shadow, the sand only a few feet beneath the hull. They'd have to swim a short distance to reach the shore, but in this heat it'd be nice to cool off and their clothes would dry quickly.

"Let's play first, then come back here and eat," Nico suggested as he furled away the sails.

"Sounds like a plan." Lewis bounced the football on the deck and tried a few fancy foot moves, flicking the ball from his knee to the side of his foot, then up to his chest. The boat rocked in a swell, and the ball bounced across the deck and over the side. "Crap!"

Without pausing to take off his expensive clothes, Lewis jumped overboard after the ball. Kazuki kicked off his trainers, glanced across at Nico, and then hurled himself into the sea in pursuit.

Lewis surfaced, laughing and splashing as Kazuki chased him. Nico dived in after them, emerging from the water in time to grab the ball from them both. It slipped from his fingers and Kazuki pounced on it. Holding it to his chest, he kicked away from them then rolled over, tossing the ball to Lewis. For a while they floated and swam, passing the ball back and forth, until Lewis seized it and ran ashore. As soon as he was free of the gentle waves, he kicked the ball across the white sand, his excited whoops echoing from the cliffs.

Kazuki waded out after him, his jeans clinging tight and his t-shirt raining water onto the soft sand. He raced up the beach and tackled Lewis, sand spraying up to cover them both as they turned and spun, tussling for control of the ball. Kazuki won it and set off, kicking the ball and staying in touch just ahead of Lewis. He laughed, glancing over his shoulder to see Lewis come swearing after him, and then Nico emerged from the sea shirtless.

The sudden bolt of lust struck him so hard that Kazuki stopped dead. He stared, taking in every detail in a split-second: the denim cut-offs moulded to Nico's thighs, cupping the shape of his groin; the low-riding waistband revealing the slight roughening of dark-honeyed hair leading downwards; the toned abs and chest and tight nipples, water streaming down his body; the bright smile and the sleek wet hair scraped back from his forehead.

A heartbeat later, Lewis barrelled into him with a yelp. Kazuki couldn't avoid the collision and they both fell over, sprawling into the sand as the football rolled away from them.

"What the fuck, man?" Lewis shoved him aside as they both struggled to right themselves.

Kazuki blushed, not daring to look in Nico's direction. "The sun," he mumbled. "The sun on the sea dazzled me."

Lewis gave him a hard, direct stare. "Yeah. Right. The sun."

Nico laughed, trapping the ball beneath one foot. He held his sodden shirt bunched in his hand and threw it to the ground, pointing at it. "Between this and that stone over there can be the goal."

"Yeah, man, let's play." Lewis shot Kazuki another dark look then jogged past him to go after the ball.

They kicked the football around for just over half an hour, until Lewis declared he was tired of having to fetch it out of the sea because of the way the beach sloped. "Can't get a decent shot at the goal," he complained, dropping to the ground and stretching out.

"You're such a bad loser," Nico said with a grin, pouring sand over Lewis' shoes.

"You still got twelve goals," Kazuki reminded Lewis, who grunted and stared up at the cliffs.

They sat in silence for a while, listening to the call of the gulls and the hiss of the surf. Kazuki wriggled his t-shirt away from his body as it dried against his skin, tiny salt crystals sparkling in the fabric. When he looked up, he caught Nico watching him with an intense yet faraway expression.

Lewis sat up and gestured towards the cliffs. "Let's go climbing."

"Are you crazy?" Kazuki blurted without thinking.

Lewis gave him that hard look again. "It's not crazy. I did it all the time when I was a kid. Climbing trees, climbing rocks. It's easy. It's just a matter of balance and knowing the terrain... kind of like driving an F1 car." He paused for a moment, then added, "Of course, considering everything, maybe you should sit it out."

His smooth tone and friendly smile failed to hide his antagonism, and Kazuki felt the insult strike deep. He tensed, but forced himself to incline his head and retreat behind layers of Japanese formality. "You climb. I will stay here."

Nico watched the exchange, a half frown drawing his brows together. "It's a stupid idea. Frank and Martin would kill us if they found out."

Lewis laughed, a mocking edge to his voice. "Who's going to tell them? Look, you can see the path up the rock-face from here. Plenty of hand and footholds. It'll be a piece of piss!"

Nico tipped back his head. "It's a long way up."

"We'll be at the top before you know it." Lewis jumped to his feet, brushing sand from his damp clothes, his face alight with challenge. "Come on, man. You said we'd have a cool day out, and so far we've done nothing but sail your crappy boat and kick a football around. Let's have some real fun!"

Nico wavered. "I'm not sure..."

"Man, you're such a pussy."

The barb seemed to sting. Nico got up. "Okay. Kaz, are you coming?"

Kazuki shook his head. "I still think it's a crazy idea."

"Leave him. Let him be the boring sensible one." Lewis was almost bouncing with anticipation. "Last one to the top buys dinner tonight!"

Nico gave Kazuki an uncertain look, then turned and ran after Lewis. They raced to the far end of the beach and began to climb. Kazuki picked up the ball and Nico's discarded shirt and settled himself closer to the cliff, unease pulsing inside him as he watched their progress.

The path of hand and footholds Lewis had seen stretched away from the beach, leading around the curve of the cliff to above the water. Kazuki eyed the sharp, clustered rocks below the two climbing figures and felt his gut wrench with anxiety.

Snatches of their shouted conversation drifted down to him. Lewis swung ahead with ease, fitting his hands and feet into the soft rock and powering upwards. Below him, Nico laboured to catch up, his movements stiff and awkward. His foot slipped, sending a rattling tumble of loose stones down the cliff. Kazuki swallowed, silently urging him on.

Nico looked down and seemed to freeze.

Above him, Lewis paused. "C'mon, pussy!"

"I can't." Nico pressed against the cliff, his voice suddenly hoarse. "I can't!"

Kazuki stood and took a few steps towards the cliff, his fists clenched. "You can do it, Nico!"

"Yeah!" Lewis shouted. "It's easy, come on!"

"I can't." Nico sounded terrified. "Oh, shit. I can't."

Lewis repositioned himself and hung out from the cliff, looking down. "What's going on?"

Nico seemed to scrunch himself into the cliff. "I'm scared of heights."

"Fuck. Now you tell me." Lewis hauled himself back and began to retrace his steps. "Hang on. I'll come and get you."

Kazuki saw the danger. "Lewis, no! You're making the stones fall onto Nico!"

"I need to get down, idiot!" Lewis yelled. "Just shut up!" He made his way across and down, his speed sending pebbles and grit showering over Nico, who was still frozen in place against the cliff.

"Nico, try to move to your right. Nice and slow. I'll be with you in a couple of minutes."

Kazuki felt Nico's fear, saw it in the hunched way he clung to the rocks. Hesitantly, Nico reached out with his right hand. He grasped at a hollow in the cliff and slowly, painfully, started to transfer his weight across.

The rock gave way, and Nico fell.

Kazuki saw him drop. He shouted a warning even though it was too late, and started racing towards the sea before Nico hit the rocks and was swallowed by the water. Kazuki almost choked on nausea as he saw the splash, saw the spray of red. Nico was hurt. Nico could be dead. The horrified thoughts drummed through his brain, echoing the accelerated thump of his heart as he sprinted into the sea and struck out towards the rocks.

Above him, Lewis was yelling, a hysterical edge to his voice. Kazuki blocked him out and concentrated on swimming. He swallowed a mouthful of seawater and coughed, the brine burning his throat. The sun glinted off the waves, blinding him as he neared the rocks. Gulls screamed overhead, adding to his panic. The current at the base of the cliffs dragged at him. Kazuki trod water, looking around in desperation.

A patch of red blossomed on the surface. Taking a huge gulp of air, he dived under, keeping his eyes open. The sea pulled at him, catching him in a cold embrace despite the beams of sunlight striking through the water. He fought against the current, forcing himself around the rocks. Just as he was about to go back up and take more air, he saw Nico, a cloud of dark blood surrounding him.

Kazuki pushed himself forward, reaching for Nico's limp body. His lungs screamed for oxygen, but adrenalin kept him going. He seized Nico around the chest and towed him upwards, praying he wasn't too late.

They broke the surface together, Nico clutched in Kazuki's arms. Kazuki gasped, drawing in air, his pulse thundering in his ears. Above the roaring of his blood and the snarl of the waves he heard Lewis' frantic, high-pitched shouts, but they made no sense. Nothing made sense, because Nico lay broken in his arms.

The current tugged at them, and Kazuki summoned all the strength he had to tow Nico into calmer waters. The brine stung his eyes, and he realised he was crying. It couldn't end like this. He wouldn't let it. Not Nico.

As soon as his feet touched the sand, he let Nico float, keeping one hand beneath his head to support him. Kazuki stared at him, seeing the damage for the first time: one leg smashed to a pulp, one arm broken, deep gashes bleeding into the water. He felt for a pulse and found it, faint and erratic.

Dragging Nico to the shore, he laid him flat and crouched over him, praying. He knew there was no time to swim out to the yacht and summon help. By the time the medics got here, it would be too late. Kazuki bent closer, trying to ignore the blood that soaked into the white sand. He had no choice. There was only one way he could save Nico.

He prayed again, but this time not to any known deity. He whispered words that, if any Japanese had happened to overhear him, would have made them shrink away in fear. He felt the animal wake inside him, a powerful force growing and building. Kazuki had no idea how to control it. He'd never done this before – never had cause to summon it – and felt helpless as the energy expanded, fizzing through his veins.

Instinct made him kneel up and place his hands on Nico's chest. The air around them crackled, a faint light starting between his fingers. It hurt his eyes, but Kazuki couldn't look away. The power roared, channelling through his hands. The light poured out of him in waves, rippling out to cover Nico from head to toe. It washed over him, pulsing, healing – and then, with the suddenness of a plug pulled from a socket, it ended.

Kazuki caught himself before he fell forward. His hands grazed the sand and he jerked upright, staring down. The blood had gone. The injuries had healed. Nico's body was as whole and perfect as it had been before he'd started the climb.

It had worked. The old stories were true. Kazuki shuddered, stunned and elated, tears still running down his face. He shook Nico by the arm – his newly healed, whole and undamaged arm – and started back when he groaned and opened his eyes. Nico blinked, his gaze clouded until his focus snapped onto Kazuki. They stared at each other.

"Kaz..." he whispered, his voice raw.

"Nico! Nico!" Lewis yelled as he hurtled up the beach. He sounded deranged, his face taut with fear.

"It's okay. He's okay," Kazuki called.

Lewis sagged, almost collapsing into the sand with relief. He stumbled on towards them, crying, "Thank God. Oh, thank God."

Nico made a sound. "I should be dead."

Kazuki looked at him, trying to smile through his tears. "You're alive."

"No." Nico grabbed a handful of Kazuki's wet t-shirt and yanked him down, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief. " _I should be dead_."

* * *

The next two weeks were the worst Kazuki had ever endured. The three of them hadn't spoken about the sailing trip again. Lewis stared at him with a mixture of confusion and uncertainty whenever they met, which was not often, and Nico took to avoiding him. Even in team briefings, he would sit away from Kazuki, hemmed in by his mechanics and engineers. Occasionally Kazuki would look over and see Nico watching him, curiosity and fear in his eyes.

By saving Nico, he'd hurt their friendship. The knowledge ate at him, but Kazuki refused to feel bad about it. He'd done a good thing, the right thing. Whenever he thought of that day, his heart iced with terror. Yes, he'd done the right thing. But it had consequences far beyond the loss of Nico's trust.

The animal inside him wanted to feed. Kazuki felt its hunger. He owed it for saving Nico's life, but he was afraid at how much it would take from him in return. One week after the event, he called his father and begged for his help. Satoru had gasped when he heard what happened, but praised Kazuki for his sacrifice. "Let me speak to someone about this," he said. "An Inari priest will know what to do."

"Can't you tell me?"

"No." Satoru paused. "Son, no one in our family has called upon her power for decades. You know the tales as well as I do. There's no way to go back and undo it. But I will ask the priest, just in case."

Kazuki was still waiting for his father to call again when the Williams team boarded the plane to Istanbul. He took his seat, trying to keep his mind blank as he pressed the buttons on the in-flight entertainment console. The films available were either romantic comedies or about superheroes. Kazuki gave up and reached for the free magazine instead. They were always so boring. Perhaps the dullness of the articles would enable him to stop thinking about Nico and take his mind off the animal's growing hunger.

An hour into the flight, as he was attempting to read about Turkish lace-making, Nico came and sat in the empty seat beside him. Kazuki almost dropped the magazine, but controlled his nervousness enough to greet his teammate in what he hoped was a normal tone of voice.

Nico turned towards him, sitting side-on in the chair so he faced Kazuki. He leaned against the headrest and looked at him for a long time.

"Nico, what is it?" Kazuki asked at last, keeping his voice quiet so the passengers around them wouldn't hear their conversation.

"It was real, wasn't it." Nico's eyes looked shadowed, almost haunted. "It really happened. I fell off the cliff and smashed myself up on those rocks. I almost drowned. I should have died. But you saved me."

Kazuki glanced at the magazine, staring at the glossy pages as though they'd give him a believable answer. "I think you fainted when you fell. And you landed in the water, so it broke your fall. It wasn't as bad as you think."

"I didn't faint. Not until I went under." Nico put a hand across the magazine to stop him from turning the page. "I felt the pain. I felt my leg break. I thought my arm had been torn out of its socket. I saw my blood in the water. I was hurt, Kaz – I was hurt really fucking badly, and yet I'm here now with not even a scratch on me. How is that even possible?"

Kazuki lifted his gaze to Nico's face and saw bewilderment and frustration. "I can't tell you."

Nico drew in his breath, a flicker of hope lighting his face. He gripped Kazuki's arm. "Then it was real?"

"Yes." Kazuki pulled the magazine free and flipped over a few pages. "Please don't ask me about it again."

"Why, do you have some kind of superpower?"

Kazuki stared at the magazine in tense, wounded silence.

Nico's gentle, self-mocking laughter faded. He shifted in his seat, then rubbed a hand over the arm that had been injured. "Shit. I'm sorry. Sorry. I'll..." He seemed to run out of words. A moment later, he stood and made his way back to his own seat.

Kazuki closed the magazine and tossed it aside. Despair overwhelmed him. He'd only done what he thought was best, but now he'd awakened the family curse. He had to find a way to undo it before the animal's hunger destroyed him.

* * *

The first night in Istanbul required their presence at a dinner for the sponsors. Kazuki sat through it, polite and interested as the situation demanded, aware of Nico the whole time. Nico made no further attempt to speak to him beyond conventional small talk about the heat, the sights of Istanbul, the latest on the balance of his car. Kazuki responded as if by rote, hoping his father would call. He knew it wouldn't be tonight – the time difference made it impossible – but he still hoped.

As soon as he could, Kazuki escaped the festivities and went to his hotel room. Night had fallen across the city, and from his balcony he could see the slope of Pera, the more modern part of Istanbul, down towards the Golden Horn. Across the water, the mosques and Topkapi Palace were lit up, jewels in the darkness. The scent of the city, mysterious and tempting, came to him on the gentle breeze. The animal within him stirred, flicked its tail, and slept again.

A tentative knock sounded on the door. Kazuki left the balcony and crossed the room, already knowing who would be standing in the corridor. He pulled open the door and stepped aside. "Please come in."

Nico hesitated only a moment. He came in and looked around, his movements quick and nervous. Finally he faced Kazuki, though his gaze fixed itself on the wall. "I was rude today. I've been rude the past couple of weeks, ever since... ever since you saved my life." He looked up, his gaze brilliant with emotion. "I never said thank you. Not even once. I'm so sorry, Kaz."

Kazuki shrugged. "Please don't mention it."

"I'm here because..." Nico paused. "I need to know."

"Isn't it enough that I saved you?"

"It should be." Nico smiled, his uncertainty tangible. "But I can't let this go."

Kazuki let the silence stretch between them, then went to the mini-bar and swung open the door of the fridge. He pulled out a miniature bottle of vodka and held it out. Nico shook his head, so Kazuki flicked off the lid and poured it neat into a glass. "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you."

"Try me."

Kazuki took a swig of his drink and felt the fiery cold hit the back of his throat. He shuddered. "You might tell everyone else."

"I wouldn't." Nico sounded fierce. "I won't."

The desire to confide in someone outside his family pulled at him. He'd wanted to tell someone before, but the memory of the old ways was fading from modern life. For every person who believed, there were ten who dismissed it as superstitious nonsense. To the best of his knowledge, the family curse had never been revealed to a foreigner. Kazuki didn't know what would happen if he told Nico.

He hesitated, his drink forgotten as he turned over his thoughts. Nico seemed to sense his indecision and came towards him. The lights touched the line of his arms, the column of his throat, and blazed in his hair. Kazuki set down his glass, as dazzled as he'd been that day on the beach.

"Outside," he whispered. "I'll tell you outside."

Nico glanced towards the open doors. "Wherever you like."

They went out onto the balcony, with its heavy, ornate ironwork table and chairs. Kazuki ignored them and stood by the railing, leaning his elbows on it and staring down at the streets below. Nico perched against the table, waiting.

"This is a very old story. It's not mine, though I share in it." He shot Nico a glance and saw him nod. He looked confused, and Kazuki turned away. It would be easier to tell this if he couldn't see Nico's expression. "Years ago," he began, "centuries ago, one of my ancestors married a fox woman."

Nico made a soft sound. "A what?"

This was harder than he'd thought. "A fox woman. A _kitsune_."

Incredibly, Nico exhaled on a chuckle. "I've heard of _kitsune_. Seen them in anime and computer games. They have nine tails, right? And they're magical. They can do all kinds of stuff. Change shape and all that."

"Yes. Though not all _kitsune_ get nine tails. Most only earn three or four." Kazuki looked down at his hands, trying to imagine them as the sleek, elegant paws of a golden fox. The image disturbed him, so he continued, "Japan is full of tales about fox women and their human lovers. There are stories about their children, too. They often inherited powers from their mothers."

"Powers like healing?"

Kazuki nodded.

Nico was silent for a moment. "So you're the great-great-something-grandson of a fox woman, and you've inherited her healing powers."

"It's not as simple as that." Kazuki faced him.

Nico paused, his thoughts easy to read from his expression. "It... doesn't hurt you, does it, to use your powers? I mean, it's not like that episode of _Supernatural_ where one person is cured by taking the life of another? Or – or does it make you weak in some way afterwards? I mean, you can still race this weekend, can't you? Or..."

Kazuki held up a hand for silence. "It's fine. It doesn't kill anyone else and it doesn't make me weak."

"Does it hurt you?" Nico demanded.

"Not in the way you're thinking."

"Then how?" Nico strode across the balcony and stared at him. "Kaz, how does it hurt? Can I help?"

The irony almost made him laugh. Kazuki pressed his lips tight and gave a quick shake of the head. It was bad enough he was revealing this much of his secret. He didn't want to make things worse by blabbing about his feelings.

Nico came closer. Too close. The fox inside Kazuki roused and stretched before it settled back down to wait. He could feel its power warm and strong inside him; could feel the echoes of its hunger. To distract himself, he returned to his tale.

"A fox's essence is focused in its _tan_. In the old stories, this is a magical object such as a ball or a bracelet or a pill. It's supposed to represent the fox's self-cultivation and wisdom – it proves that the fox is no longer merely an animal. The fox shares its _tan_ with humans it cares for. There are a lot of old romances about this..." Kazuki broke off, seeing the expression on Nico's face. "You probably think I'm crazy."

"No." Nico's voice was full of wonder. "I was there, remember? You saved me with this _tan_ thing. Your great-great-whatever-grandmother's power – _your_ power. This doesn't feel crazy. It feels... right."

Kazuki leaned back against the railings and covered his face with his hands. "I'm afraid."

Nico misunderstood him. "You shouldn't be. I can never repay what you've done for me." He paused, struck by a thought. "Can you heal others, too? Could you walk into a hospital and start curing people?"

"Not exactly." Kazuki let his hands drop to his sides. "It would take more power than I possess to do that. More power than a nine-tailed fox. You'd need several nine-tailed foxes to heal that many people."

Nico tilted his head, watching him. "But you could cure others."

"Perhaps." Kazuki picked at the flaking paint of the railing. "My father doesn't have this power, though if he needed it, he could summon it. Everyone in our family who shares the bloodline of the fox woman can call upon her. It's prayer that wakens the fox inside us, and her gift of healing is limited to the object of our prayers."

"You prayed for me." Nico's gaze fastened on him.

Kazuki couldn't look away. "Yes," he whispered. "And if you were ever in danger again, if you were hurt... I would heal you again."

Nico lowered his eyes and scuffed at the floor-tiles. "So how does it hurt you?"

"It's not really a hurt." Kazuki had hoped he'd forgotten that. He tried to find an easy explanation. "Once woken, the fox needs to feed."

A charged silence hung between them. Nico jerked his head up, his eyes wide. "Feed as in like a vampire?"

Kazuki grimaced. "Sort of. But different." He saw the consternation on Nico's face and hastened to reassure him: "It's okay. My father's asking an Inari priest about a cure. Inari is a fox deity. The priest will know what to do to stop the hunger."

Nico had backed away slightly, but now he ventured closer. "It seems wrong to deny the fox its meal when it was only doing what you asked of it." He turned his head, the night breeze ruffling his hair. He brushed it back and looked at Kazuki. "What does the fox eat? Does it need... blood?"

"No. Nothing like that." Kazuki felt himself start to blush. He cleared his throat. "The – the fox feeds off sexual energy."

There was a long pause. Kazuki risked a glance at Nico.

"Sexual energy..." Nico mused, frowning. His expression cleared and he smiled. "You mean orgasms?"

Embarrassed, his face flaming, Kazuki dipped his head. "Yes."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go inside."

Kazuki stared at him, unable to believe what he'd just heard. "What?"

Nico laughed, excitement making him sound breathless. He grabbed Kazuki's hand and pulled him into the room. The curtains around the open doors billowed out as they passed, and then Nico turned, caught Kazuki to him and kissed him.

Stunned, Kazuki stood passive. Nico pressed against him, wrapping his arms around his neck. He nipped at his lower lip then licked at him. "You don't want me? Did I read this all wrong?" Nico asked, his voice husky, almost pained.

"Yes. No." Kazuki didn't know which question to answer first. His head was spinning, the fox rumbling with contentment as Nico continued to kiss him.

"Kiss me back," Nico said. "Or else I'll think you don't like me."

"I like you." Kazuki slid a hand into Nico's hair and gripped a handful of it, pulling him closer. They kissed, a mutual exploration this time, desire sparking and catching between them. Together they stumbled to the bed, dropping onto it and tearing at each other's clothes. Nico's shoes thudded onto the carpet.

Rational thought pierced Kazuki's lust-clouded brain. "Wait. You don't need to do this."

Nico struggled out of his shirt and threw it to the floor. He rolled onto his back and wriggled out of his trousers. "Yes, I do. The fox needs feeding, you said so. I'm here to feed it."

"You don't have to do it out of gratitude!"

"I'm not." He clambered on top of Kazuki, pulled back and sat astride his hips, naked now except for his boxers. "Kaz, I _like_ you. I tried to tell you before... but things got a little messed up."

Realisation struck. "You told me on the boat. That's why you invited me, why you wanted to get to know me... I didn't realise you meant it that way."

Nico scrubbed a hand through his hair in a nervous gesture. "Yeah, well. That's why I took Lewis along – so you wouldn't get freaked out if my declaration of love went tragically wrong. I could just pretend it was male bonding or something with Lewis there as a chaperon. Guess I screwed that up, too."

"No. Never." Kazuki traced patterns over Nico's fair skin, caressing the toned muscles of his chest. He reached up, catching at the fine blond strands of Nico's hair, and urged him down for another kiss. This time he let the animal out, let her hunger mix with his desire. The embrace flared, awareness jolting through them, arousing them both.

"Wow." Nico pulled away and gave a husky laugh. "That must be the fox in you."

"It's impatient," Kazuki agreed. "It needs feeding now."

Nico rolled beneath him, his smile innocent and beguiling. "Then let's not keep it waiting."

Kazuki grinned. He'd have to tell his father he no longer needed the Inari priest's advice. He had no doubts that he and Nico could keep the fox sated for a long time to come.


End file.
